Absurd Creatures: Meet the Wonderful Bug That's as Big as a Gerbil

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Absurd Creatures: Meet the Wonderful Bug That's as Big as a Gerbil

Giant Weta

If you ever want to rile up an entomologist, ask them what the biggest insect in the world is. What do you mean, they'll ask, the heaviest? Longest? For Pete's sake, be specific.

Alright, maybe it isn't a great idea to ask an entomologist what the biggest insect in the world is. But what I can say for certain is that the heaviest confirmed insect on Earth is the giant weta, a titanic species from New Zealand. But why get so big? Why not get even bigger? Take a gander at the video above to find out.

Also, I’m more than happy to hear from you with suggestions on what to cover next. If it’s weird and we can find footage of it, it’s fair game. You can get me at matthew_simon@wired.com or on Twitter at @mrMattSimon. And check out the Absurd Creature of the Week column right here.